MAR 303 Long Island Marine Habitats Fall 2013 Course Description: The study of six representative marine

environments around Long Island. Students visit the sites on bi-weekly field trips, measuring environmental parameters and identifying common plants and animals. Using qualitative and quantitative methods in the field and in laboratory sessions, the class determines major factors that control the biological community in each habitat. This course has an associated fee. Please see www.stonybrook.edu/coursefees for more information. By the end of this course, students should be familiar with methods for studying habitats and communities, know how to analyze data, utilize scientific literature, write a scientific report, and deliver a substantial oral presentation using appropriate media. Course Pre-requisites: BIO 201, U3/U4 Standing; Advisory: AMS 110 or other statistics, MAR 101, 104 or 333 Objectives: The learning objectives in this course include: Recalling factual knowledge about marine habitats. Understanding fundamental methods for studying these ecosystems in the field. Applying standard methods for the analysis of quantitative, scientific data. Interpreting original data Demonstrating scientific writing skills using scholarly books and peer-reviewed scientific articles for the presentation of original results Speaking effectively before an audience with a Power Point presentation on a research topic relevant to the course. Instructors: Dr. Darcy Lonsdale, Office: Endeavor 207, Phone: 632-8712, Email: darcy.lonsdale@stonybrook.edu Dr. Robert Cerrato, Office: Dana 121A, Phone: 632-8666, Email: robert.cerrato@stonybrook.edu Graduate Teaching Assistant: Cecilia OLeary, Office: Dana 169A, Email: ceilia.oleary@stonybrook.edu Graduate Instructor: Maren Mitch, Office: Dana 121B, Email: maren.mitch@stonybrook.edu Reading Assignments and Class Materials: All reading materials will be either on reserve in the Marine and Atmospheric Information Center (MASIC) in Challenger Hall, South Campus Class or distributed through Stony Brook Blackboard Meeting Schedule: Lectures are held on Tuesday and Thursday from11:30 -12:50 in Endeavor Hall Rm. 168 except on those Tuesdays when field trips are taken. We will

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leave on field trips no later than 11:40 and return by 3:50. The laboratory sessions will be held on alternate Tuesdays from 1:00 3:50 in Discovery Hall Room 100. If you need additional time to complete your laboratory work, you can make arrangements with the instructors or graduate teaching assistant for another time. Field trips: Wear appropriate clothing and footwear! Bring sunscreen and insect repellant. Aug 27 Sep 10 Sep 24 Oct 01 Oct 15 Oct 29 Nov 12 Great South Bay and Fire Island breach Salt Marsh Flax Pond Barrier Island Smith Point Park Seagrass Bed Oak Beach Estuarine Planktonic Habitat Peconic Bay Estuary Estuarine Subtidal Habitat Long Island Sound Rocky Intertidal Crane Neck

Questions for Each Habitat: What are the major environmental (abiotic and biotic) characteristics? What are the dominant organisms? What problems do the organisms have to survive and how do they overcome them? What are the interactions with other organisms? Which factors are most important in determining the composition and structure of the physical and biological components of the habitat? Grading: Students are expected to participate in all laboratory sessions and field trips. There will be no make-up field trips. 30 % Class time exams 15 % Comprehensive final exam 40 % Written reports 10 % Oral presentation on a habitat-related topic 5 % Field and laboratory participation Schedule: Tu 27 Aug Introduction (DL, RC); Field Trip, Great South Bay* Th 30 Aug Lecture, Analyzing and Presenting Data (Meet in Challenger 165, MASIC Remote Sensing Laboratory) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 03 Sep No class Th 05 Sep Lecture, Salt Marshes (DL) ________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________ Tu 10 Sep Field Trip, Salt Marsh (Flax Pond)*** Th 12 Sep Lecture, Data Analysis and Statistics (RC) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 17 Sep Lecture, Barrier Island Geology (DL) Lab, Flax Pon Th 19 Sep Barrier Island Ecology (DL) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 24 Sep Field Trip, Barrier Island (Smith Point Park)* Th 26 Sep Lecture, Seagrasses (DL) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 01 Oct Field Trip, Seagrass Habitat (Oak Beach)* Th 03 Oct Lecture, Seagrasses (continued) (DL) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 08 Oct Lecture, Estuarine Circulation (RC) Lab, Smith Point Park and Oak Beach Th 10 Oct Exam 1 ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 15 Oct Field Trip, Estuarine Planktonic Habitat (Peconic Bay Estuary)** Th 17 Oct Lecture, Estuarine and Coastal Plankton (DL) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 22 Oct Lecture, Subtidal Benthic Communities (RC) Lab, Peconic Bay Estuary Th 24 Oct Lecture, Subtidal Benthic Communities (continued) & Role of Disturbance in Benthic Communities (RC) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 29 Oct Field Trip, Subtidal Benthos (Long Island Sound)*** Th 31 Oct Lecture, Role of Disturbance in Benthic Communities (continued) (RC) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 05 Nov Lecture, Rocky Intertidal (MM) Lab, Long Island Sound Th 07 Nov Lecture, Rocky Intertidal (MM) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 12 Nov Field Trip, Rocky Intertidal (Crane Neck)*** Th 14 Nov Lecture, Harmful Algal Blooms in Long Island Embayments (DL) ________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________ Tu 19 Nov Exam 2 Lab, Crane Neck Th 21 Nov Lecture, Human Alterations of Marine Habitats (RC) ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 26 Nov Lecture, Human Alterations of Marine Habitats (continued) (RC) No lab Th 28 Nov No class ________________________________________________________________________ Tu 03 Dec Student oral reports (11:30 3:50) Th 05 Dec Student oral reports (11:30 12:50) ________________________________________________________________________ Wed 11 Dec Final exam 5:30 8:00 pm ________________________________________________________________________ *No Report Due **Short Report (Abstract, Results) ***Full Report (Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Tables and Figures) ________________________________________________________________________ Disability Support Services (DSS): If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services (631) 632-6748 or http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/dss/. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential. Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go to the following website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities Academic Integrity: Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instance of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/

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Critical Incident Management: Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, and/or inhibits students' ability to learn. Class Protocol: Using cell phones and other electronic devices is not allowed; devices must be turned off during lecture, laboratory or field trips with the exception of the time during transportation to and from a field site

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